1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to the category of equipment adapted to be set up on an open highway, for the purpose of checking the possible impairment, due to alcohol, of motorists. In a more specific sense, the equipment is of the type utilizing a pair of portable strips between which a driving lane is defined, with said strips being adapted to be quickly attachable to the highway surface, in positions such as to require that the motorists pass therebetween, and do so in a manner that will quickly indicate whether or not they are capable of operating a vehicle safely, in the sense of maintaining their vehicles along a proper course.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Heretofore, equipment for checking vehicle operators to determine whether they are driving under the influence of alcohol has been used successfully by police officers. However, in some instances this involves direct stoppage of the vehicles, including the requirement of the police officers making a visual check, or using particular types of equipment, that will enable police officers to reach some type of evaluation, even a preliminary evaluation, of the driver's ability to operate the vehicle.
This type of equipment is time-consuming, in that the vehicle must be stopped, and the driver must be questioned or otherwise tested.
At the present time, the authorities, and indeed the population in general, are becoming more and more concerned about the problem of motorists operating their vehicles on city streets or highways while under the influence of alcohol. Many states have established extremely strong laws for penalizing drunk drivers, and this has had a desirable effect. However, at the same time many drunk drivers are undoubtedly escaping undetected, due to the fact that the police officers do not have sufficient time to check as many vehicles as they would like, utilizing test equipment and methods presently known.
This problem of checking drunk drivers in sufficient numbers over a given period of time, has posed a problem that desirably should be solved, for the purpose of detection of and possible criminal and civil action against even more drunk drivers than are presently being found and prosecuted.
The main object of the present invention is to remedy this deficiency in the prior art devices, by providing a system for detecting driver impairment, especially impairment due to the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, which system will permit swift detection of a very large number of drivers in a minimum amount of time, at locations where spot checks are to be made, without the irritation and loss of time attendant upon the stoppage of drivers who are in full possession of their faculties, and who are not impaired in any way so far as their driving ability is concerned.